A Terrible Thing To Waste:The Life And Mimes of Blanc Lenoir
by Grub Leaf-Eater
Summary: (Non-SI OC) As powers go, miming sounds great! ...Until you realize it doesn't mean copying people. Nonetheless, that is what Blanc Lenoir, a 'zebra faunus' appears to have found himself stuck with. Oh, and it apparently makes him mute too, as if that wasn't enough. Can he fight for those around him while stuck with such a power as his only real weapon?
1. Chapter 1

I remember searing pain. Blood spilling from my chest. And then...nothing.

I remember nearly nothing of my life before.

But I remember stories of other lives. Heroes and villains alike of other worlds doing glorious battle.

Awfully specific memories, I know.

I stand up, look around a little and see a black and white wolf with red eyes.

|Uh… Good doggy?| I try to say, only for no sound to leave my lips. |Wait, what? OHCRAP!|

I hold my hands out protectively as it leaps, only for my hands to brush brick and the wolf to slam against the air a few inches from my face and rebound with a whine.

I blink.

I pat the air-bricks a few times in disbelief.

|But… I'm not even French!| I protest. |Wait, let's not get hasty, maybe my power is creating invisible brick walls.|

I hastily curl a hand into a fist with thumb, index and middle fingers sticking out. I wait for the wolf to slam off my barrier again before backing away from it, raising my hand to point at it's eye before dropping my thumb.

Instantly, a sharp 'crack' echoes through the woods and a hole appears in it's face. It drops instantly, dead as I stand there numb. After a second, I raise my hand to my lips to blow on my fingers.

|Bitch, I'm that fast food mime from Dr. Mcninja!| I proclaim.

I hear a growl from behind me and whirl, quickly moving my hand to grip at a invisible sword at my waist.

|Oh, fuck.| I groan, seeing a monochrome bear and two more wolves. |I'm about to be a very dead mime, aren't I?|

The Bear charges forward and I rush forward, 'drawing' the 'sword' as if I was performing a Iaido move.

Totally Monokuma freezes before starting to slide and fall apart, limbs falling to the ground and torso sliding diagonally apart to be specific.

|Oh, fuck the hell yes.| I grinned before turning to face a wolf. |Oh, fuck.|

Teeth ground into my stomach, shimmering energy intercepting and blocking them. I jam my invisible katana down between the eyes of the wolf before letting go of it, cocking a invisible shotgun and shooting the last wolf with a even louder crack.

|That...was my boomstick!| I cheer.

…

|Ow, that bite hurt.| I groan. |I need to get out of this place. Or get civilized people to find me…| There was nothing like a road around, though. And I couldn't think of a way to mime anything that would grant me flight.

Instead, I mime unstrapping a shield from my back and holding it in my left hand, then drawing a longsword. There's a noticeable weight in my hands, but they seem lighter than they should by all rights be.

I take actual stock of my surroundings.

Hm. I'm in a forest. Brown leaves are falling off the trees.

…

This tells me surprisingly little.

I drop the sword, snap my fingers and mime pulling out a cell phone and dialing 911. Probably. I hold it to my ear.

"Vale emergency services, fire, police, medical or more than one?"

I begin to speak without thinking about it. |I'm not sure, I'm lost in the woods.|

"...I see, sir. How did you get out there?"

|I don't know, I don't remember anything that happened last night.| Hurray for technica-What.

Hang on a second.

"Well, if you're outside of the borders of the city of Vale, I'm afraid that we cannot lend you any direct assistance. I recommend you climb a tree, look for the wall, and start heading in that direction. Would you like me to contact a Huntsman to see if I can arrange for help."

...They can hear me?! |Yes please.| I quickly say

"Please hold." Elevator music starts playing. I mime taping the phone to my head before miming a grappling hook and climbing up a tree carefully.

…

Bigass wall, 5 miles east of here, assuming that the sun is currently rising as it seems to be..

I slide back down the invisible rope just as the phone clicks. "Sir, where are you exactly?"

|West of, uh, Vale.| I say. |I'd guess 5 miles west. The forest I'm in is brown.|

"Ah, so in Forever Fall, then. Your number appears to be unlisted. Would you mind giving me your number so I can call you for updates?"

|No, but it doesn't have a number.|

"...Come again?"

|This phone doesn't exist.|

"...What?"

|I have the power to act like I'm using something, and make it partially real.| I say. |I don't have a actual phone-|

"...What's a phone? Do you mean a scroll?"

|...Sure, why not. Anyway, I don't have a actual scroll, only the one I'm currently pretending to call you on. I think when I hang up it'll cease to exist.|

"Uh...huh…" They sound lost.

|Also, I can't talk. I think I'm pretending to speak to the phone I'm pretending to call you on, and somehow that's actually working?|

I hear a very quiet "Why do I get all the weirdos…" before they resume normal volume. "...Aaaaanyway, someone will be in the woods to assist you soon. Uh...Bye!" Click.

…|Rude.|

I see another wolf scratching at the base of the tree I'm up. I mime cranking a crossbow, placing a bolt in it, and shooting it in the face, and immediately the black-and-white-and-red-all-over wolf dies.

|Hey, it's like a newspaper!| I joke.

…

Maybe I can use a megaphone, if the phone worked?

I hold my hand to a spot near my chin as if I was holding a megaphone. |/"HELLO WORLD!"/| I call out.

Huh, yeah, that worrrrr…

Ah, crap.

Black, white and red birds.

I try the shotgun again, only for it to seem to bounce off.

Ah, fuck.

Okay, quick, try miming something better.

… I pretend to wave a magic wand at them and one of them stiffens, slamming to the ground.

One down, five to g-CRAP!

I quickly mime an invisible box just in time to be pelted with feathers. I pretend to slide open a slit, then push a invisible shotgun out of it.

On my third shot, I get lucky, blasting a bird in the face. It goes down, eyes a gory mass.

On the eighth, I throw the shotgun away. My invisible box is holding, though feathers are starting to get lodged in it and block my vision.

I pretend to open a door in the box, pull a pin with my teeth, count off on my free hand, then throw a grenade. With a violent explosion, the mimed grenade takes out one more bird.

Three to go!

I slam the door to block the next barrage, but one feather got through, grazing my cheek and slamming into the inside of the box.

|Wrong move, poultry.| I snarl silently before pretending to open a box and assemble a sniper rifle. I slam open a new gun port before pushing the barrel of the invisible rifle through(it took a few tries to get the invisible length into the invisible hole(IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN)) and taking aim.

Apparently, a invisible sniper scope is just as good as a real one. I wait for a bird to fly into the crosshairs and fire.

Instantly, the bird explodes into a mess of feathers.

Four down.

I pull back the bolt on the rifle, aim again, and fire.

One left.

|Bawk-bawk, bitch.| I growl before firing and missing.

However, this bird seems to have had enough. It sends a baleful look in my direction before wheeling about and flying away as fast as it can.

|That's right! Run, you c-raven!| I cheer silently

"Huh, not bad, kid."

I whip around to see a grizzled, middleaged man with a sword on his shoulder in a nearby tree.

I lean down and pretend to scribble before holding up a invisible sign with very visible lettering.

[Who the hell are you, and why didn't you help?!]

"One, rude." He says. "Two, my name is Qrow. Three, I *did* help." He gestures with his sword and I see the trees surrounded with dead Monokumas and, uh… Dammit, I don't have a snappy thing to call the wolves. They're starting to evaporate. "I'm the Huntsman they sent. You're lucky I was in the area. I must say, though, your faunus trait is a little bit unusual."

[What's a faunus trait?]

"...You mean you don't… what the hell are you, high?"

[Not that I know of.]

"A faunus is a person with a single trait from a animal. You appear to have a zebra's hide covering almost all of your body."

I pause.

[Can you think of a way to mime a hand mirror?]

"...Pretend to pull something out, unfold it and study it intently at every which angle?"

Good enough. I do so, and after a minute,while the mirror itself remains invisible, it begins reflecting, too.

[...I look like a old timey movie.] I grumble-write. I note my striking golden eyes for later. My actual hair is black, and my skin is indeed covered in stripy black and white fur.

"Hey, what's your name, kid?"

[...Call me Blanc Lenoir.] I respond-write after a minute of thought.

"So, uh, I know you aren't mute. What's with the writing thing?"

[I kinda am. I'm also kinda not] I pretend to open a door in the box, then toss out a rope ladder and climb out.

Qrow simply hops down from his tree. "Real descriptive." He grunts.

|Jackass.| I grunt silently before writing. [For some reason, any time I try to speak, no sound comes out, but the objects I mimic can register it. It's how I made the call earlier.]

"That's...odd. Useful, in a weird way, but odd."

I glare at him.

"Anyway, kid, skills like yours...have you ever considered being a huntsman?"

[A what?]

"...A huntsman? You know, we hunt the Grimm?"

[Why would I want to hunt monster hunters?] I ask, confused by the stories I remember.

"...What? Uh...Grimm are the monsters, not the ones who hunt monsters."

[Uh, I'm sorry.] I quickly pretend to scribble. [I must have gotten addled by being hit on the head or something. Are you telling me that those bear things aren't called Monokuma, then?]

"...No. No they are not. They are called Ursa. The wolves are called Beowolves and the birds are called Nevermores." He sighs. "If you didn't know that, then I assume you didn't recieve any training, which means we have no idea how much potential you have."

[...That's nice. Where's the nearest road?]

[line]

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO DRIVE?!"

|/"No, but I'm good at pretending!"/|

I had set up a call with Qrow so I could speak like a normal fucking human being.

He was currently busy screaming.

I don't see why. We were only going, oh, 120 miles a hour?

As a side note, invisible items weigh less than they're supposed to, which takes some limits off things like cars. Like friction.

Somehow, we arrive at the airport without hitting anyone or anything.

"/|And they'll be expecting me?|/"

"No, but if you tell the asshole with white hair Qrow sent you, you'll get a chance." He says.

"/|...Ooookay then.|/"

* * *

"Aaaah! It's a clown! I don't float!" Some little girl with red and black hair says

…

I hate my life.

"A clown!" A yellow haired, busty girl says before giving me a evil look. "I've heard stories about pedophilic clowns, if you lay one hand on my sister…"

|I'm not-| I pause then scribble. In block capitals, the next sign says, [I'M NOT A FUCKING PEDO YOU BITCH] I pause long enough for it to be read. [And for your information, I'm a zebra faunus.] I fold my arms angrily, the invisible sign tucked in the crook of one elbow.

"...Oh my god Yang, he can write on air!"

"Oh yeah, wise guy!" Yang growls. "And if you aren't a clown, why are you doing something that silly?!"

…

[Because I'm a mime.]

"What's the difference?!"

[Mimes are French. Also, mimes are less silly and they don't talk. I literally CANNOT talk, by the way.]

"Then...You're mute?"

[Don't worry. I learned...sign language.]

…"I guess I can forgive you for looking like a creepy clown. But if you lay one hand on Ruby…" Yang growled before humphing.

"So… Uh, what's your name?" Ruby asked.

[Blanc Lenoir. You?]

"Ruby. Ruby Rose. I'd show you my weapon, Crescent Rose, but they insisted on putting it with the luggage." She pouts.

[Uh...that's interesting! What kind of weapon is it?]

"It's a scythe and it's a high-impact customizable load sniper rifle!"

[I understood 'scythe', 'high impact' and 'sniper rifle' but you lost me with 'customizable load'.]

"Eh, I-I guess you got the most important parts." She droops a little before brightening. "What's your weapon?"

[My imaaaaaagination.] I plant the sign and wave my hands in the air the way that you're supposed to when saying 'imagination' for a rainbow to appear. Either no rainbow appeared, or it was a invisible rainbow.

"That doesn't sound like a very good weapon."

[It is when you can shoot people, cut things in half, and block weapons with it.] I deadpan while writing it. [Here, I'll demonstrate. Someone try to punch me.]

"...Yang?"

"Yeah, sure why not. Always wanted to punch a clown." She rushes at me...and I respond by patting a invisible wall into existence between us, watching her fist slam into it… and just barely through it.

"...Ow." She groans, yanking her fist out of the wall and shaking her hand loose. "That kinda hurt." She grumbled. "What the hell was that?"

[Invisible wall. Staple of mimehood.]

"...Okay, that's weird, but kinda useful." She admits. "Maybe we'll end up on the same team!"

[You called me a pedophilic clown.]

"Yes, I did… I'm sorry." She grumbles.

I watch a guy stagger past us holding his stomach, then immediately pat a few walls into existence around us. Don't want to get caught in the splash if he heaves.

[Huh, that gives me a idea. Wonder if people can get drunk on invisible alcohol…] I write casually.

"Oh boy." Yang mutters. "Better watch out if you can. If Uncle Qrow found out about that, he'd either try to become your best friend or try to marry you."

"Don't be silly, Yang! Boys can't marry boys!" Ruby chirped.

Me and Yang share a deadpan look.

[You got this, or should I take over? I can provide some VERY interesting anatomical references.] I write-ask.

"...As long as you don't write anything blatantly untrue or anything I think I'll let you handle it. It should be hilarious." Yang admits. "A-and don't go overboard with the references! Don't corrupt my sister!" She humphs.

[Right. Now, Ruby, when two boys love each other very much…]

I launch into a detailed explanation, using as many euphemisms as physically possible, both for purposes of being less embarrassing and for purposes of comedy.

I take especial pleasure in using the word 'weapon' as one such euphemism.

I'm sure this won't backfire at all.

...Nope.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:I'm making a couple of assumptions here.

1:The dorms are either a Harry Potter scenario where you can choose to stay over vacations, or they just don't run all year.

2:The Beacon upper years return to Beacon with the initiate candidates, hence making up some of the large crowd.

* * *

Around the time I finished corrupting, er, developing a young mind, we arrived at Beacon. I had gathered a few observer/eavesdroppers, about half of whom were blushing VERY hard, and half of whom were laughing their asses off. One of the laughers, some chick wearing a brown jacket with a beret(Ooh! Note to self-ask her where she got that and/or if she has a spare I can buy/borrow off her. Might as well finish the mime look.) snaps a few pictures of my anatomical references.

…

They may have bled over slightly into pornography at points.

Next to the picture taker in the beret, a blusher with bunny ears is trying to pull the camera out of her hands.

Either Yang didn't notice or didn't care as she was among those laughing their asses off. The part where I described 'two men rubbing their weapons together' really set her off.

[...And that's how babies aren't made!] I cheerfully and cheekily conclude, recieving applause from all of the laughers and a few of the blushers.

"Bold, Monochrome!" Brown&Beret exclaims, moving closer with a smirk to the evident dismay of the girl with the ears. "Lucky for you that there aren't any professors on board, or such...daring pictures might get you in trouble~" I shrug before writing a new sign.

[Nice hat. Where can I get one?]

"Oh? You're interested in haberdashery then? Or fashion in general?"

[Li'l bit of both.]

"I'm sure Jonnie won't mind me sending some more business their way…" She rifles in her purse for a second before producing a business card. "I'm Coco, by the way, and this is Velvet." The girl trying to take back her camera groans in defeat and waves.

[Blanc Lenoir.] I absentmindedly reply before reading the note.

…'Jonnie Deep'? Really? The Madder Hattter?

That'll...be...fun…

Still, I do need a beret if I want to finish my look.

…

But to buy a beret, I need money…

…

Money which i have...exactly none of.

Sonofafuckingbitch.

This school thing might be one of the best things that could have happened to me. My only other options would have been to find a job before I started to smell from not showering or changing my clothes(Wait, could I mime showering and washing my clothes? Thought for later) or to find a monastery to join.

…

At least it wouldn't be hard to keep a vow of silence

As I'm lost in thought, I hear someone say, "Tch, just like a animal to encourage such unnatural acts."

…...Really?

"C'mon, guys, let's go somewhere else."

...You stayed through the entire fucking 'talk', and you're leaving at the end?!

...What, are you closeted and hiding it by acting homophobic?

[That guy needs to get laid. Probably with another guy.] I write and hold out to Yang, who snickers.

"You thought that too, huh, Stripes?"

[...Stripes?]

"Yeah, you know since, uh…"

I look down at my arm. [...Riiiiight.] Huh. Looks like my scribbling adds in pauses in the thoughts I'm trying to write as ellipses.

"Yang, c'mon, if he doesn't like his nickname, then don't use it." Ruby says, face still flushed from embarassment.

[No, no, it's fine, I'm pretty sure nicknames are supposed to start out making you feel a little uncomfortable.] I wave her off.

"That's the spirit, Stripes!" Yang grins. "Anyway, Ruby, you should go try to make more friends."

"Why would I need friends? I have you!"

I groan. Silently, of course.

"Uh...well...I gotta go find my own friends! I think I see one of them over there, gotta go!" She zips away with a speed that would put Sonic to shame, leaving both me AND Ruby a little dazed from her wake.

How did she even DO that?

I saw Ruby start to stagger and tried to catch her, which ended up with us both…

Falling directly onto some girl in white's luggage.

"What are you doing, you clumsy oafs!" She exclaims.

I scribble quickly and hold up a invisible sign at the same time as Ruby says [/"Sorry!"/]

"Sorry?! Do you have any idea what...kind of damage you could have done! Ugh!" She gives me a disgusted look as Ruby tries to pass one of the suitcases up. "Give me that!" She practically snatches it from her hands. "This is dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarries, not that I'd expect a child and a animal to know that."

...Wow, not cool. Correct in my case, but super uncool. Why would you want to mine dust, anyway? Doesn't it collect under your bed and shit? I don't think dust is usually red, either.

"Uh…"

Apparently, correct in Ruby's case too. Wait, that's 'dust' being sprinkled in her face. Her face and mine. I inhale and start trying(and failing) to scribble out a new sign.

"What are the both of you, braindead? Fire, water, lightning, energy! Are you two even listening? What do you-"

I cut her off with a silent sneeze.

On the other hand, the explosion that erupts from my nostrils? Somewhat less silent. I hear a secondary one a few seconds later from next to me, but it doesn't have a whole cloud to ignite so it's somewhat...less spectacular.

Before the flames speckled with ice and lightning die out, I feel the lightest of pinpricks on my throat. My eyes cross and I frantically wave my hands in the air as the flames fade.

"Are you with the White Fang?! You are, aren't you!" I reach down to scribble a new sign. "Hands where I can see them!" The white-haired girl barks. "And answer me!"

"What the heck are you doing?!" Ruby exclaims, having fully recovered from her own sneeze. There's a sudden flash of motion and the rapier that was touching my neck grazes my cheek from the parry, almost flying out of the albino's(Hey, I'll think of this bitch however i want to) grip as she staggers back five paces. A second later, a scythe buries itself in the ground with the shaft between me and the albino. I take the chance to erect a wall and back away.

The girl backs up a little more. "What do you mean, what am I doing? What are YOU doing! He clearly just attacked me!" She yells. "En garde!"

The white haired girl in white(On the presumption that this world lacks black culture to appropriate, I'm going to just call her Whitey McWhiteface. Seriously, is in fact white, 's wearing all white, and hair is white. Seriously, she has more white in her than Kyoko Kirigiri has purple. Any whiter and she'd be a girl Elsen.) drops into a ready stance with her blade pointed forward before beginning a charge.

I signal Ruby to hold back.

And Whitey McWhiteface slams full on into the wall, not having noticed when her rapier stabbed through the brick in time to stop or slow down.

Ruby winces before rubbing at the back of her head. "That's...gonna hurt."

WMW picks herself up off the floor and yanks her rapier out of the wall. "Alright! You can make barriers! But that won't do you any good! If you and your partner yield now, I may not press full charges!"

I roll my eyes and she glowers, circling to my left and beginning to charge…

Before staring down my arm incredulously. "...Are you even taking this seriously? If you're going to fight me, then fight me!" She yells indignantly.

|...Fingerbang.| I say curtly before dropping my thumb with a sharp 'crack'.

"You see, Ren! I told you there were landmimes on the ship!"

"And I told you there was no way they would place traps on the ship." 'Ren' groans.

"But landmimes don't look like girls when they're really guys, Ren! You're so silly." The orange haired girl says.

"...Sometimes, I really just have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Nora." Ren sighs.

"It's okay, Ren, I like you anyway." She pats him almost condescendingly on the back.

After noticing that exchange, I realize that half the courtyard is watching us. I scratch the back of my head sheepishly as Whitey McWhiteFace picks herself up off the floor and…

A black cord suddenly wraps around her waist as she readies herself again.

"Weiss Schnee. I would say your behavior shames your family, but frankly I consider it more of an accurate representation." A cool voice says quietly. Yet her words carry across the courtyard.

"That will be quite enough, Miss Belladonna." A equally cool voice says from directly behind me, and at least half of the audience blanches visibly, along with Weiss and 'Belladonna'. I turn around, observing green hair and nearly opaque glasses. "Your assistance in deescalating this situation is appreciated, but is now no longer required. If you would care to provide us with your perspective, however, that would be most appreciated.. You three!" He pins us with a look and this time me, Weiss and Ruby all finch. "Are coming directly to the Headmaster's office to discuss this incident."

I quickly scribble a sign saying [Thanks for the assist! I'm Blanc Lenoir, see you later, Belle!] and spike it into the ground before I follow along to wherever this guy's taking us.

* * *

Weiss finished telling her side of the story, looking smug.

"Dreadful! Simply dreadful!"

"I quite agree, Doctor." The white haired man says.

"I can think of at least three charges right off the bat."

"So they'll be arrested, right?" Weiss looks smug.

"Them?" the 'Doctor' replies in mock shock. "I was talking about the criminal negligence you commited."

"What! I-":

"Failed to properly seal your Dust containers. Then, after that, you compounded your offense with slander, assault, and battery." The white haired coffee(wait, I don't smell coffee?) drinker replies. He takes a sip of his drink that fails to hide the smug smile in his eyes as Whitey McWhiteFace(Yeah, yeah, I know her name, but it just feels so RIGHT to call her that) looks shocked and for the first time actually shows signs of fear..

"If he had not had his Aura, then you would be facing. Attempted murder." Doctor adds.

"Fortunately, he did, you are not, and we are not technically police officers." He takes another sip of his 'coffee'. "In fact, I am not legally obligated to inform the VPD of any criminal occurences for 168 hours after they are committed. This means you have three options. You can turn yourself in to the Vale Police Department. You can pass initiation, in which case I have the legal authority to declare your punishment to be probation only for offenses of this level. Or you can return to Atlas. By the by, the statute of limitations of assault and battery is 9 months."

If it was even possible, Whitey McWhiteface's face pales further. "W-what about them!"

"What ABOUT them, Miss Schnee?" The Doctor asks.

"How are THEY being punished?"

"I don't believe any punishment is necessary." The drinker responds. "As far as I am aware, self defense, especially against someone with Huntsman training, is not a crime, especially if the one defending themselves does not."

"He isn't trained?!" Ruby yelps before covering her mouth.

"He hasn't sent in any transcripts, leading me to believe that he is here on the direct recommendation of a huntsman. Mister…"

[Lenoir. Blanc Lenoir. And Qrow said to tell the 'asshole with white hair' he sent me.]

"You know Uncle Qrow?!" Ruby blurts out again.

[Uncle, huh? Only met him this morning, actually. He said someone with my talents could be a great huntsman.]

…"I see." The 'asshole with white hair' says. "By the way, Ms. Schnee, we recently learned of the major members of the White Fang, and Mr. Lenoir is not one. So either someone within the last week has awakened his aura and somehow he managed to unlock his Semblance soon after… Or he isn't a member of the White Fang." He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. Weiss is frankly as white as snow at this point. I almost feel sorry for her, except for the part where she tried to slit my throat. "Now, I have a speech to give so everyone can start getting settled down. Go. The three of you are dismissed."

We all file out of the office, Weiss not even looking in my or Ruby's direction.

* * *

Author's Note:I see this as a sort of 'want of a nail' issue. Weiss's reaction is a lot higher because looks to be ~17-18, and is a faunus. Also, 2.5, Blanc is male. All factors that mean that she isn't quite as, uh, 'subdued' as she is when Ruby sneezesplodes on her. As sort of a third factor, Blanc's...coloration...evokes the image of a Grimm to a small extent. So in the mind of someone from Remnant, especially a semi-trained Huntress, he subconsciously registers as a threat, then from there, their minds fill in the Blancs. (Heh.)

Also, Nora...is Nora. No further explanation is necessary.

* * *

Bonus:

Ozpin pinches his nose as the prospective students leave, soon followed by Oobleck.

"Well, at least he can't be any worse than those five." He groans. "Maybe I'll be able to salvage something this year after all."

Owing to a….incident in the schools, this year had had a particularly poor crop of trainee Huntsmen.

In fact, if he hadn't found someone to add, there would have been only 11 prospects, and the idea of having only 2 teams enter Beacon…

It gave him a bad feeling, like it would be the first sign of the end of Huntsmen as he knew them.

He takes a gulp of his cocoa. Well, he had 13 now. It was nice to have a spare. He ponders the extra, and Qrow's words that he'd relayed.

'Talents' was a code for semblance when it came to huntsmen recommendation. Actual skill would be called 'proficiency'.

Personally, Ozpin considered 'proficiency' somewhat less critical than 'talents' for a trainee, since it was easier to improve skills than to somehow evolve your semblance.

There were those who said it was impossible to improve your semblance itself, that you could only improve your application of it. He laughed at those. Aura is a representation of the soul, and while eternal, the soul is not unchanging.

You could always improve or adjust your semblance with enough effort and time spent with a psychologist, not that they told the trainees this.

Changing it was another matter entirely.

To actually change a semblance was to change the very core aspects of your soul.

It was doable, but those who managed it tended to come out worse for wear. As in, each and every person recorded to have done so came out clinically insane in at least one way.

It tended not to be pretty.

Ozpin pulled out a folder. It was the same folder he always pulled out, every week, to remind himself not to get cocky.

A folder full of pictures. Pictures of each and every 'mistake' he could find a picture of.

A silver-eyed girl.

The scorpion faunus who wanted to be a soldier.

A black haired girl with red eyes.

Ironwood, his unblemished hands grasped on a balcony as they had stared at the sky.

He never actually managed to make his way all the way through the folder, no. He merely marked his spot and put it down when his heart grew too heavy.

{One day, Ozpin, you may make peace with your mistakes. We all have, by now…}

"One day, maybe, Oswald." He mutters. "But that day is not today."

The voices spoke to him less and less, but one of them always seemed to pipe up when he was doing this. Perhaps that was what gave him the courage to confront his mistakes. Knowing that they would always be there to reassure him that what he's doing is for the best, to help him shoulder these burdens he takes upon himself.

He sips at his chocolate again. And then his scroll buzzes.

"Ozpin where the HELL are you?!" Glynda roars the second he picks up. "Everyone's waiting for you to give your speech! We've been out here for a half hour waiting!"

"I had some business to attend to." He says slowly. "I'll be there in five or ten minutes."

He hangs up in the middle of her scream of rage, chuckling softly before looking at the open folder sitting on his desk. "I'll do better. I promise." He says before slowly, reverently closing the folder and placing it in the false bottom on his desk.

"Right...Now, initiation speech… version two...let's go with variant E." He mutters and picks out the appropriate file.

He gives it a quick scan to refamiliarize himself with it before inserting it into his teleprompter.

"Let's add addendum RC." He mutters. "Goodness knows we can use every Huntsman we can get these days, with how the Queen has been moving lately. If both our wildcards make it through, since I suspect .everyone else could make it, then the extra huntsman would not go amiss."

He chuckles.

"Really, Mr. Arc… False transcripts. As if a Arc would need false transcripts to get into Beacon. Even without any training, the strength of your family's spirits is such that you would have been given the opportunity to take initiation." He tsks softly. "Of course, I'll have to ask a certain...acquaintance...of mine to keep watch on you so I don't have to explain to Chablis and Jay why you got eaten by a Grimm." He shudders slightly.

"And Blanc… Blanc Lenoir. A fitting name. Too fitting, some would say. Is it a false identity? Perhaps someone with a mind altering Semblance removed your memories, and you had to come up with something?" Ozpin shakes his head. "Or perhaps it's all too real, and your parents were incredibly uncreative." He sips his chocolate. "Well, best to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I'm sure if I had a spy or a mole in Beacon, I would notice them pretty quickly."

He smiles ruefully. "That's not a 'mistake' I'll be adding to my collection anytime soon…" He mutters.


	3. Chapter 3

Life And Mimes 3

The three of us make our way down to the courtyard.

"Hey! Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot! Where were you?!" A familiar blonde yells cheerfully.

WMWF lets out a 'Hmph!' and quickly makes her way all the way to the other side of the courtyard from where Yang is. I follow Ruby over, having literally no clue where else to go.

"Hey Stripes." She nods to me before turning to Ruby. "So how's your first day goin' little sis? You ain't getting into any 'entanglements' with Mr. Silent Movie here, are you?"

"You mean since you ditched me and I got into a fight?"

"Ouch, getting into shouting matches? Sounds more like something I'd do." Yang comments, a look of slight concern on her face.

"No, I mean literally physically fighting. Blanc exploded, then I exploded…. There was a fire, some ice, and I think some lightning?"*

"...Are you joking around?" Yang looks mildly amused.

"I wish!"

I hold up a sign.

[Whitey McWhiteFace literally tried to murder me after shaking a bottle of red powder in my face such that it caused me to sneeze, igniting the whole cloud and apparently some leakages from other bottles.]

"...Oh god, you got into a fight already? Are you okay? No, wait, of course you are, you would have said something, right? Are they okay? You aren't getting into trouble, right?"

Oh good lord, cue the overbearing older sister.

From out of nowhere, two brown tubes smack into my and Ruby's heads, striking me on the temple and dazing me for a second despite the lack of any appreciable mass, and Ruby directly between the eyes, causing her to flail and almost smack someone behind her with her folded scythe.

|Come now dear children, I'll taaaaake you away, into a land of enchaaaantment!| I 'sing' drunkenly before shaking my head vigorously. Boy that would have been embarassing if I had a voice.

…

I grab one of the tubes and unroll it.

'Dust For Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals'...?

…

Fuck it, it's not like I can get any LESS of a idea of why she's talking about dust bunnies like they're important/dangerous.

The asshole with white hair gets up on stage. He clears his throat. My attention is immediately riveted on him.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you're finished, you plan to dedicate your lives to the protection of the people.

But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction."

I helpfully write a sign saying [Cheerful], which gets a few chuckles.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove to you that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." He pauses. "Before I let Glynda take the stage, I would like to inform all of you that the Reserve Course is open this year. If there were any hopefuls in the audience who didn't think they could pass initiation now, or if for whatever reason you fail to pass initiation except in that you survive it unharmed, then the Reserve Course may accept you. In that case, you would not be assigned to a team, but rather recieve intensive training, and should anyone on a team be forced to...step down… for any reason, someone from the Reserve Course will be added to that team. You will attend classes with the first years, and it is highly recommended that you attend the remedial combat classes, which are split between Professor Goodwitch and Professor Peach teaching."

|Ah, never say 'die'...| I groan under my breath. Still, it seemed a rather reasonable rule overall! I wonder why it isn't in play every year.

"He seemed kind of...off. Like he was barely thinking about what he was saying." Ruby comments.

[Ruby, if I was talking to a bunch of teenagers who are probably going to die before they reach their 50s, and it's because I'm accepting them into my group, I wouldn't have much to think about besides crippling guilt, and possibly wouldn't even be able to talk.] I write and wave in her face.

"...Actually, the average lifespan of a huntsman is 34." She comments. "But deaths amongst Trainee and graduate Huntsmen skew that downwards."

[Heh, I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting to meet someone who understood statistics in a school for glorified jocks.] I grin teasingly.

Ruby scratches her head and looks down. "H-hey, I'm not a jock!" She pouts once she recognizes the insult, folding her arms.

[...Huh. It's really hard to communicate sarcasm or teasing through sign language.] I comment. [I wasn't really calling you a jock, Ruby.]

I sigh as we walk away to our, uh, 'quarters.'

* * *

…

Okay, a few things to note here.

One:The only clothing I own is what's on my back.

Two:Having fur all over your body means it's really easy to overheat.

Three:While not exactly muscular, I'm neither skinny nor fat. My body, while a little obscured by the fur, is...fairly well defined.

With no small amount of trepidation, I slide out of my shirt.

"You see, Renny! I told you! I told you it was a landmime! Observe the natural coloration."

"...If you're talking about that guy over there somehow, I'm pretty sure he's a zebra faunus." The put upon ninja sighs.

"For the last time, Ren, he's a landmime!"

"I'm pretty sure he isn't any sort of booby trap, land mine or otherwise."

With that, Nora's eyes get a far away look, and my keen hearing picks up her muttering, 'But… Trap… boobs….how...what….'

….

Okay, that girl spends too much time on the internet. I don't know how much time that is, given how eccentric she is, but it's clearly too much. And I don't even know if my homeworld had internet! I only know that from memories of heroes and villains in worlds WITH internet.

That said, she is not technically wrong. If a 'trap' had breasts, either the word was being misused to represent someone who was actually self identifying as female and undergoing operations to make their body match what they felt it should, or you were in the middle of a very, very weird transformation episode.

Nontheless, I can see at least three girls blatantly ogling my body. Or at least staring at it. Considering how Whitey feels about me, it's safe to say that in her case 'ogling' would be more staring at my 'freakishness'.

Bitch.

On the other hand, Yang's catcalling causes a entirely different kind of discomfort in me, tinged by a hint of pleasure.

Ack! No! Stop! I didn't ask for this body!

...Or did I?

 _A flash of pain_.

Urk! Thinking about it…

 _A crack before the pain._

 _Thu-thump._

 _After, a whisper…_

 _Thu-thump._

" _You were one hell (thu-thump) of a ballsy kid, I'll give you that. (thu-thump)You're lucky I never liked Jenks or Cait, or I'd have made your death painful and slow."_

 _Thu…_

Thump.

My body misses the invisible sleeping bag I had laid out moments before.

"Are you okay?"

I look up and see a blonde dude staring down at me in concern.

…

Oh, it's that guy who was vomiting on the airship.

[Yeah.] I hold up. [I'm just not feeling too good.]

"Yyyyyeah, uh, about that...I saw the words you left outside, is it alright to call you Blanc?" At my nod, he continues. "Blanc, people who are 'not feeling too good' usually lay down and take it easy." He frowns. "Looking like you're going to have a panic attack and then collapsing generally, ah, means something a little more than 'not feeling too good', though. I-I'm just saying!" He says hastily when I give him a look. "It's totally not my business and I understand if you'd rather I not pry and stuff!"

[...Why do you care?]

"Weeeell, you know, my mom always told me that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." He grins sheepishly, scratching at his head.

[Protip:Don't use the words 'my mom says'. Makes you sound like a bit of a wuss. Say it's a family motto. Makes it sound cooler and it's technically true. Anyway, what's your name, since you know mine?]

"Jaune. Jaune Arc. Short and sweet, rolls off the tongue. So, ah, is there anything I can help you with?"

My stomach takes that as a opportunity to loudly remind people that it exists, regardless of the fact that I didn't actually feel any signs of hunger.

….What the fuck? My sneezes are silent! My words are silent! I can't even BREATHE loudly! But the minute my stomach growls I can make noise.

Jaune blinks. "Oh...Uh….Huh. Is that why you collapsed?"

No. No it wasn't. But...I feel like I shouldn't share what actually happened for some reason, and if my current body existed before today, well, it hadn't been fed anything for a bit. If it hasn't, then technically I literally haven't eaten in forever. I nod with a very sheepish expression, which isn't hard since I really do feel sheepish. I'm of two minds about accepting any food from him, not because I don't trust him but because it just doesn't feel right to accept charity.

...Is that a hint about my former life? Aversion to charity?

"Uh, gimme a second, there'll be breakfast in the morning, but I packed some food…" He scampers out of the room and to my pleased dismay returns with a massive bag of sandwiches and a few quarts bottles of various juices with cups. He quickly explains, "I was feeling kinda peckish anyway, so we can share some food before we go to sleep! I was keeping these in a large lunchbox. If I get into Beacon, it's not like I'll need them anyway, they supply meals. So...they'll just go bad anyway!" He smiles winningly.

With that, he sits down and spreads out a sheet to eat over.

...Holy crap, I love this guy. Either he has good instincts, or he actually consciously decided that I would feel bad just eating his food by myself.

Also.

FOOOOOOOOOD.

I happily munch on the first proferred ham, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato sandwich as he pours himself a cup of grape juice. When he gestures at them with a quirked eye, I nod towards the orange juice after a second's consideration. It wouldn't do to get scurvy and I don't know how much I've had of vitamin C.

In about two minutes, I've demolished a sandwich and I'm eagerly eyeing another.

"Please, help yourself. Just, uh, try to not leave any fur on the ones you don't take?" He asks as lightly as he can, the wince almost audible in his voice. It's almost like a kicked dog, like he's expecting to get yelled at about it.

Frankly, I don't even REMOTELY have the heart. Between the fact that he just helped me and isn't being a racist jackass, I couldn't care less that he's commenting on my 'faunus' trait. I smile reassuringly and gratefully before carefully grabbing another sandwich.

By my fifth sandwich my body's telling me I've finally eaten enough, even if I'm feeling sheepish at how much it took to hit 'enough' and a liiiiiittle bit greedy. I down the rest of my fourth cup of juice.

"But Yaaaang!" I hear as I finally start paying attention. "I haven't eaten since this morning!"

"We told you to pack a snack! What happened to it?!"

"I packed a box of cookies. Then I decided to eat one...then another…."

"...And you ended up packing a empty box?"

"..."

"You still can't just go ask them about having some of the sandwiches!"

I look at the sandwiches.

We've barely eaten a fourth of what he had.

[Hey, Jaune, how would you feel about offering some of those around if you aren't going to eat any of the rest?]

"Huh? What makes you say, er, write that?"

[I can hear one of my friends talking about being hungry.] I point at Ruby

"Oh! Sure, it's fine for her to have some!" He grins.

I write a sign in block letters. [HEY, RUBY!] and hold it up in her direction. She catches it at her next longing glance. I swear she breaks the sound barrier on her way over, she's seated next to us so quickly.

[Ruby, meet Jaune. Jaune, meet Ruby.] I introduce them to one another quickly.

"That's right!" Jaune smiles. "Jaune Arc, it's short, it's sweet, it rolls off the tongue, and the ladies love it." He grins.

"...Do they?" Ruby asks.

"T-they will!" Jaune blushes lightly.

I grin. [Another piece of casual advice. Leave off that whole descriptor when you introduce yourself. If you must, keep it down to 'short and sweet'. Never tell a girl that 'the ladies love it', and probably never use that phrase in front of a girl. I can't imagine that a girl likes anything less than being told what they like.]

He blinks. "I...never thought of that." He mumbles.

[There! You see! You're learning new things!]

We chatter for about a half hour before separating and going to sleep, though Jaune scampers off to repack his sandwiches.

* * *

Author's Note:Despite being absolutely useless with girls, Jaune does in fact have...fair social instincts, as he demonstrates by cheering Pyrrha up at the ball.

It felt appropriate to have just ooooooone chapter with absolutely no action at all before everything goes to shit.

If you liked this story, leave a favorite, follow, or a review!

Can you guess where Blanc will end up? If so, feel free to leave that in a review or vote in the poll I just put up!

I will state, as absolute fact, that any team that Blanc does not end up on will be composed of the same people, to keep the guessing fair.

*Ruby was in a better position to observe, not being the epicenter of the explosion, especially since sneezing makes you close your eyes. Also, she's a little less panicked as she isn't the one who was the center of the issue.

* * *

Bonus

* * *

Amber eyes focus on a pilfered trio of tuna salad sandwiches.

Just as their owner said, he'd just have to end up getting rid of them anyway…

…

Okay, she felt a little guilty. But TUNA SANDWICHES!

…

She assays her guilt by slipping both of the males a 10 lien card.


End file.
